{"product_id":"the-trick-is-to-keep-breathing-dalkey-essentials","title":"The Trick Is to Keep Breathing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSynopsis\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter the sudden death of her married lover and the loss of her mother, twenty-seven-year-old Joy Stone finds herself drifting through the routines of everyday life while quietly falling apart. Working as a drama teacher in a small Scottish town, she struggles with grief, depression, eating disorders, and the relentless expectations of normality. As her thoughts fracture, so too does the novel itself, blending fragmented prose, lists, medical questionnaires, recipes, and stream of consciousness into a startling portrait of a mind under pressure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst published in 1989, \u003cem\u003eThe Trick Is to Keep Breathing\u003c\/em\u003e is one of the defining novels of contemporary Scottish literature. Janice Galloway captures mental illness with extraordinary honesty, refusing melodrama in favour of sharp observation, dark humour, and profound compassion. Often compared to \u003cem\u003eThe Bell Jar\u003c\/em\u003e, this groundbreaking debut remains a powerful exploration of loneliness, resilience, and the fragile work of staying alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJanice Galloway is a Scottish novelist, memoirist, and short story writer born in Ayrshire in 1955. Her debut novel, \u003cem\u003eThe Trick Is to Keep Breathing\u003c\/em\u003e, is widely regarded as a modern Scottish classic and was shortlisted for multiple literary awards. In 2023, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Her work is celebrated for its formal inventiveness, psychological depth, and unflinching exploration of women's lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDalkey Archive Press\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMay 26, 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e350\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSubjects\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLiterary Fiction · Scottish Literature · Psychological Fiction · Mental Health · Modern Classics · Feminist Fiction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e9781628976458\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Old Post Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45280284246198,"sku":"9781628976458","price":29.5,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0731\/2264\/4150\/files\/9781628976458.jpg?v=1784826028","url":"https:\/\/oldpostbookshop.com\/products\/the-trick-is-to-keep-breathing-dalkey-essentials","provider":"Old Post Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}